Turkey Bombs N. Iraq;
Unpopular British Hand over Security Control in Basra
In the far north of Iraq, Turkish warplanes bombed villages that its security specialists say were harboring terrorists of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK). The bombing campaign is the latest in a series of actions that have brought tensions to a boil in the Kurdish-dominated north.
In Iraq's deep south, Britain turns general control of security matters over to Iraqi officials on Sunday in Basra province. This move has little effect in itself on the British troop presence, now 5500 men stationed out at the airport. But PM Gordon Brown has pledged to reduce their numbers to only 2500 next March, and it seem likely most will be gone by the end of 2008.
A recent poll conducted in Basra has little good news in it for the British in the south.
In the poll, only 2 percent of Basra residents felt that the British miitary had had had a positive impact on the security situation in the southern port. Some 86% said that the British impact has been negative! Not suprisingly, 83% said they wanted British troops to leave Iraq altogether. The BBC adds:
' Two-thirds felt security would improve in the short term, while 72% said it would improve in the long term. Only 5% said security would deteriorate following the withdrawal. '
These number really are suggestive of a colonial experiment gone badly wrong. If the British had been in the Iraqi south as helpmeets to Iraqi authorities, as former PM Tony Blair often alleged, it is hard to imagine that the people there would be this hostile.
The US has no troops in either Basra or on the Iraqi-Turkish border, so that the US is not even centrally involved in the two big Iraq stories today.
Bombings and attacks Killed at least 11 persons in Iraq on Saturday.
Labels: Iraq
posted by Juan Cole @ 12/16/2007 06:30:00 AM
7 Comments:
' If the British had been in the Iraqi south as helpmates to Iraqi authorities, as former PM Tony Blair often alleged, it is hard to imagine that the people there would be this hostile. '
It's unclear whether you think the "British as helpmates" was a possibility.
I think that the US/UK were and are the aggressors in Iraq and the only positive thing they can do is leave.
The Neocons view the Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza in Palestine as successful enough to replicate the "colonial experiment" in Iraq, expending US dollars and US lives directly, rather than indirectly as in Palestine.
The only positive thing we can do is leave. We Americans and Israelis. Palestine and Iraq. The sooner the better.
Thanks Prof, excellent post, I have two questions.
You have previous blogged about the strategic importance of Basra. Main stream news is mostly focused on the British handing over power to the Iraqis, not much about to which Iraqis. Who actually controls Basra now (the Mahdi army?) and how will this affect the American occupation?
Basra contains 80% of the oil reserves in Iraq, the Americans, it seems, are watching it disappear. Are they? and if so is this another nail in the coffin of the new project for an American century?
I am in disbelief that you said:
"These number really are suggestive of a colonial experiment gone badly wrong. If the British had been in the Iraqi south as helpmeets to Iraqi authorities, as former PM Tony Blair often alleged, it is hard to imagine that the people there would be this hostile."
I dunno... I hate to sound coy (NOT!) but Maybe these folks DON'T WANT 'helpmeets' (sic) OR 'colonial experiments'.
Go figure. After all, most of the problems in the region derive from British cartographers drawing BS petro-related lines on maps in the first place, and shady-dealing with various sheiks/warlords to 'legitimize' those lines.
AFAICT, and I AM NOT AN EXPERT, most countries (regions, groupings, whatever) in Persia & the Middle East have developed their military methods, strategies and tactics, including socio-cultural mores, over the millenia, for the efficient repulsion of INVADERS, NOT so much for territorial expansion.
...and it shows.
The Iraqis could teach the Norwegians some new tricks to repel the Nazis if they ever invaded again.
Yes... I am implying that the British & U.S. are neo-nazi invaders. Expecting any coalition force to be treated like a 'helpmeet's is a tragic, and quite deadly, mistake.
It shows too. Currently the U.S. casualty count is: 3893
I am saying this plainly: Shock & Awe [tm] = Blitzkreig
There was little difference in tactic, and in my estimation, NO Difference in MOTIVATION.
LAND GRAB...
I could also go on about the remarkable similarity between Blackwater USA's treatment of run-of-the-mill Iraqi citizens and the Waffen-SS's(who protected the Nazi's general staff... military 'state department') treatment of some French peasant who got too close to the regional Nazi administrator without express permission.
From wikipedia: Waffen-SS, an initially small paramilitary section of Heinrich Himmler's Allgemeine SS that grew to nearly a million strong during World War II, was not officially part of the Wehrmacht (German Army),"
Cf: Blackwater USA
Can anyone wonder why: "...the people there would be this hostile."
It's not hard to imagine @ all.
FWIW, Eisenhower didn't know much about 'communism' beyond what Keenan and his ilk were whispering in his ear, but HE KNEW FASCISM when he saw it. Hence his warning about the military-industrial-(educational) complex.
He saw where America was headed.... and we have arrived.
So propagandized we can't even understand why the rest of the world despises us.
Re Basra poll results.
The BBC poll of Basra Iraqis certainly supports the measured wish of the British public, their uniformed and civilian military, and PM Brown's gov't, to continue to close out their combat commitment to open-ended US military occupation.
In that sense, it seems like the poll results may help the Brits resist US pressure to reverse their withdrawal policy,and retain a token combat role in Iraq. Functioning as an armed force in service of our Baghdad regime also keeps the Brits arrayed against Iranian maritime forces, in waters that have been disputed militarily since the time of the Shah.
In a larger sense, the search for understanding of the poll numbers should not be measured by whether we judge it 'good or bad' for this or that politician or policy.
Whatever Basrans think about the Brits, the likelihood is that UK infantry, armor, and helos will be redeployed from Iraq to bolster and increase the drifty NATO combat mission in Afghanistan. The Afghan-Pakistani Taliban may still be fighting Euro-US forces after the Iraqi tribes and mullahs strike a deal.
Aint pax americana grand?
Actually the total US casualty count is over 50,000 (killed, wounded and evacuated).
The British role in the Iraq war has been masked by the even bigger American mess. Tony Blair is also a Christian fundamentalists and an anti-infidel crusader. He was as committed to invadinf Iraq as Bush was, for religious and other reasons too. In fact, he said that publicly in recent days.
The British in general have the same Exceptionalism complex as the Americans, if not more, and still talk about losing the Empire as a sad episode in British history. They wanted a second chance in Iraq and Blair believed that he can easily spin the occupation into, as you say, helping the Iraqis. After all, he is a master of spin, and these are 3rd world hajjis.
The British press in 2003 hailed putting Basra ubder UK command as a grand reward for the UK. The UK had been working on the Iraqi Shiites since 1991 and they truly believed they had it in the bank. One of the main players was Emma Nicholson, now a Baroness and a member of the European Parliament. She once said in a TV debate:"We created Iraq, and you MUST use our WISDOM".
The Americans obviously were not going to give Basra to the Brits. They were playing their standard and fool-proof trick with Blair (the same one that worked with Saddam, Thacher, Aznar and few others.) The chat-up line goes like this:"We like what we see. You are strong and ambitious and your country can punch way above its weight if we work together". For the right person, like the above, this is like heaven. Yeah yeah .. and we can ...and ... All what the American old hands have to is contain themselves while talking to the fool, and burst out laughing when they are back in their den.
Anonymous.. give yourself a nickname so that we can look for your posts...
what you remind us about Britain is right...
English/American imperialism has deep and very vigorous roots.
Dare we say it, cultural norms?
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